The No. 9 seed Seminoles (22-11) are set for a Sweet 16 showdown with last year's national championship runner-up Gonzaga (32-4) Thursday at 9:59 p.m.

FSU and the Bulldogs have met just one time with the Seminoles falling 67-60 in the first round of the 2010 NCAA tournament.

FSU defeated No. 8 seed Missouri 67-54 in the first round and No. 1 seed Xavier 75-70 in the second round to advance to its first Sweet 16 since 2011.

Gonzaga defeated No. 13 seed UNC-Greensboro 68-64 and No. 5 seed Ohio State 90-84 to make it to the Sweet 16 for the fourth year in a row.

How FSU wins

FSU will need to use its defense to create offense like it has done in the first two rounds against Missouri and Xavier. The Seminoles have been very good at getting into passing lanes and creating turnovers so far in the tournament, and with how well Gonzaga's ball movement is, they will need to be at the top of their game on the defensive end. FSU will also need to attack inside with Gonzaga's lack of size in the paint.

How Gonzaga wins

The Bulldogs will need to knock down their threes. 6-foot-10 forward Killian Tillie is Gonzaga's best three-point shooter hitting 47.9 percent of his attempts this season, but he's 0-4 in the tournament so far. If he can get back on track, it will cause some spacing issues for the Seminoles. Expect to see Phill Cofer and Mfiondu Kabengele defending him for most of the game since both are capable of defending on the perimeter as well as inside.

Stat of the Game

Missouri and Xavier were a combined 13-for-37 from three against the Seminoles in the first two games of the NCAA tournament, with both teams shooting well below their average from beyond the arc. FSU came into the tournament allowing teams to shoot 49.6 percent from three over the past five games. Gonzaga is 14-for-45 in the tournament, but 18 of those misses came against UNCG. The Bulldogs shot 40.8 percent from three against OSU.

Key to the Game

FSU has to attack the basket. Gonzaga lacks size inside with just two players -- that play more than 10 minutes per game -- over 6-foot-8. The Bulldogs also only play seven players over 10 mpg so tiring them out, while FSU can send fresh bodies in at every timeout could play a big factor.

X-factor

FSU point guard Trent Forrest is currently averaging 10.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game during the tournament, but his impact goes far beyond the stat line. He's one of the best slashers on the Seminoles' roster. He does an excellent job of weaving through traffic and finding his way to the rim. He's also very good at driving to draw the defense in and then passing out to find a wide-open three.

FSU in the NCAA tournament

The Seminoles have a 18-14 overall record in NCAA Tournament play, played UCLA for the 1972 National Championship, have played in one Final Four (1972), two Elite Eights (1972 and 1993) and in the Sweet 16 five times (1972, 1992, 1993, 2011, and 2018). They have made the 16 NCAA tournament appearances.

Prediction

Gonzaga hasn't blown the doors off its first two NCAA tournament games with a combined 10-point advantage in the wins over UNCG and OSU. Can the Seminoles take down another top team as an underdog?

The Bulldogs' lack of depth is something that is going to hurt them against the Seminoles with FSU rotating 10 players in and out of the game while Gonzaga plays just seven consistently.

If the Seminoles can get Tillie and forward Johnathan Williams into foul trouble by going right at them, the Bulldogs don't have a lot of quality depth behind them inside.

Still, Gonzaga is going to use great ball movement and shooting ability -- they shoot over 50 percent from the field -- to find gaps in the Seminoles defense.

I think FSU can win this game, but I think Gonzaga's experience in the tournament and its knockdown shooting will be the difference in a close on. Give me the Zags 81-80.